Kettik!
This week’s guide
We've rounded up the events worth adding to your plans for the coming days: exhibitions, theatre performances, concerts, art meet-ups, and a festival that's definitely one to note. You can drop by "A Photographic Chronicle of the 20th Century," discover works by young artists, head to the Gijduvan ceramics festival, or pick something from the packed programme of "Other Beasts." And if you're in the mood to engage with art on a deeper level, the selection includes an art brunch on Picasso, a gathering to discuss Turkestan's avant-garde, and an evening exploring how paintings become masterpieces. Save the list, choose an event to suit your mood, and send it to someone you've been meaning to go out with. Kettik?
Thursday
MUSIC
Folklore show 'The Legend of Love'
This hour-long folklore show introduces audiences to the history and culture of Uzbekistan through a staged performance. The programme features national dances in traditional costumes, live music, theatrical scenes and demonstrations of folk customs.
Marokand Concert Hall
Samarkand
from 300,000 to 430,000 soums
Friday
ART
Qimmat exhibition
The first solo exhibition by artist Rimma Gazalieva reimagines the character of Qimmat from the Uzbek folk tale 'Zumrad and Qimmat'. Departing from the traditional reading, the heroine becomes an embodiment of self-sufficiency, inner freedom and the rejection of imposed social expectations. In her works, the artist combines fragile materials with expressive silhouettes, creating composite portraits of contemporary women.
Zanmakon
48 Zarkaynar Street
Free admission
ART
Exhibition 'Our Heritage'
The anniversary exhibition of People's Artists of Uzbekistan Ruzi Choriev and Teshaboy Pirmatov is held as part of the 'Our Heritage' series. The display features paintings from the collection of the Directorate of Art Exhibitions — landscapes of Uzbekistan, scenes of labour and national traditions, as well as portraits that have become classics of Uzbek art.
Central Exhibition Hall of the Academy of Arts of Uzbekistan
40 Sharaf Rashidov Street
Free admission
ART
Exhibition 'A Photographic Chronicle of the 20th Century'
The exhibition brings together film photographs from various decades of the 20th century. Visitors can see archival images of Yuri Gagarin's visit to Tashkent, the city's old streets, the geometry of Constructivism and the industrial aesthetics of Soviet construction projects. The show reveals both everyday life and momentous events of the past through the photography of its time.
Bonum Factum Gallery
20A Sadyk Azimov Lane
15,000 soums
THEATRE
Concert 'Member of the Party'
An evening of music in concert format from the Drugie Zveri theatre-studio. The event is part of the studio's week-long programme.
Drugie Zveri Theatre-Studio
37 Olmachi 1st Passage
donation — pay what you wish
Saturday
THEATRE
Premiere of 'Crazy Pierrot' — opening of the 6th season
The premiere of the play 'Crazy Pierrot', with which the Drugie Zveri theatre-studio opens its sixth season. This is the studio's first production of the new season.
Drugie Zveri Theatre-Studio
37 Olmachi 1st Passage
100,000 soums
COMMUNITY
Festival 'Gijduvan Ceramics and Culinary Art'
The festival will bring together traditional Gijduvan ceramics and national cuisine. The programme includes pottery masterclasses, a crafts exhibition-fair, tastings of 35 national dishes, culinary shows and a 'Shashlik Festival'. There will also be competitions among cooks, bakers, halva makers, samsa masters, potters and other artisans, with the programme rounded out by folk concerts, traditional sports games and public festivities.
Gijduvan Kurgani historical complex
Gijduvan district, Bukhara region
Free entry
EVENT
Art meeting 'Turkestan Avant-Garde'
The meeting is devoted to early twentieth-century Uzbek artists and introduces the movement that shaped one of the most significant periods in the history of local art. Participants will have the chance to learn more about the figures of the Turkestan avant-garde, their works and the artistic explorations of the era.
Kandinsky art club
250,000 soums
Sunday
LECTURE
'71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance' — alternative cinema
A screening of '71 Fragments of a Chronology of Chance' with a lecture by Anton Evdokimov. A discussion of the film and its details follows the viewing. Schoolchildren, students and pensioners receive a 50% discount on paid events. Seating in the hall is limited, so tickets and seats are recommended to be booked in advance via: @misanthropic_toad, phone +998 99 934 65 117.
Drugie Zveri Theatre-Studio
37 Olmachi 1st Passage
donation — pay what you wish
ART
Art brunch 'Picasso: The Path of a Painting Innovator'
The art brunch with K. Andronova is dedicated to Pablo Picasso and his search for a new language in painting. It is an opportunity to discuss the key stages of his career, his experiments with form and how the artist managed to change perceptions of what painting could be.
'9 Muses Art Space'
350,000 soums
Wednesday
EVENT
Poetry evening for readers 'The Secret Poet'
An evening for those who wish to share poetry from the stage or simply find themselves among people who love verse. 'The Secret Poet' is a chance to hear a range of voices and texts in an intimate atmosphere where poetry itself takes centre stage.
'9 Muses Art Space'
200,000 soums
Thursday
ART
Opening of the exhibition 'In the Female Line'
Robiya Kadyrova's solo exhibition is devoted to female experience and everyday stories, which the artist explores through her own observations of those close to her and the people around her. The works address themes of family, childhood, motherhood and memory, conveyed through imagery and fragments of fabric. Works from 2022–2026 are grouped under three themes: 'Roots', 'Transition' and 'Light'. The exhibition will remain open until 18 September 2026.
Zanmakon Women's Museum
48 Zarkaynar Street
Free entry
ART
Art evening 'The Formula of a Masterpiece: How Paintings Become Great'
An art evening with K. Andronova about why some paintings become world masterpieces while others remain known only to a narrow circle. Participants will look at art not merely from the standpoint of beauty, but also examine how idea, context, technique and time shape the value of a work.
'9 Muses Art Space'
320,000 soums
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